Page 130 of Masks and Mishaps

“Actually,I’mChristian’s father,” I reply, moving in front of Dalton. “Do you remember what you said the last time I saw you?”

My father swallows hard and looks down.

“You said, ‘I don’t know how you caneverbe happy living the life you do. I don’t know how either of you can look at yourselves in the mirror,’” Dalton fills in, verbatim as usual.

“You said, ‘Your mom would have hated this,” I finish, doing nothing to quell the disdain in my voice.

My father inhales deeply before he raises his chin. “I’m not proud,” he admits. “When Alyssa ended things, she said, ‘If I couldn’t even love my own family as they are, she couldn’t trust me to love her.’” He shakes his head. “She was right.” He stands and steps closer to me, which naturally makes Dalton flinch.

“He’s fine,” I assure Dalton.

“He can prove that,” Dalton responds, draping his arm across my chest and pulling me back.

Dad sighs. “Guys, when Mom died, I failed you. I was heartbroken and terrified, so I ran. I have no right to come into your lives and tell you how to live them or to judge them. But honestly, I don’t have much to judge. Luis, Tommy, you two are loyal, kind, and ambitious. And Christian, you’re…” He ticks his eyebrows. “Well, I’ll just come out with it: You need to take more criminology classes if you want to work at the Bureau—”

Dalton actually starts laughing aloud, but quickly covers it with a cough.

“—but you’re protective, which I appreciate,” Dad continues before he faces me. “And Essie, I can’t help but think all these qualities I love about your brothers were things they learned from you. You embody so much good, but the thing I respect the most is how confident you are. It’s not surprising you could succeed in a career where you make other people feel better, and I know you got that from Mom—and she would have been proud of you.”

It takes me a long pause to realize he’s not talking about banking; he’s talking aboutcamming.

“I messed up, Essie,” he finishes. “Irreparably, by most standards, but I’m going to be better.”

I glance at my brothers, who seem to be waiting for me to speak. I face my father again and take in the earnestness in his expression.

Over the years, I’ve watched my friends hate their fathers. They always had a reason, but it never made the estrangement easy. The relationship between fathers and their children is complicated. Power and privilege are thrust upon men who don’t always deserve them—and the ones who pay the consequences are their families.

But the good ones can learn they were wrong. The great ones want you to be happy.

I think my father is one of the good ones…and I believe he could be one of the great ones.

“I’m ready to learn,” he reiterates, “—about camming and banking. Please, hon. I’m ready.”

With a deep breath, I step forward—and Dalton lets me go. And for the first time in a long time, Ireallyhug my father. “Don’t worry about banking. That’s done,” I say into his chest.

He pulls back and looks at me. “Are you okay?”

“Completely.”

Dad rubs my back. “Well, good. I tried to read about investment banks, and they’re so boring that I think I became a Marxist.”

This time, Dalton actually can’t hold back his laughter, and he gives that big, beaming smile to my dad. “Shit. Mom was right—you actually are funny.”

“Hey,” says Christian, “this is a great reunion. We owe some thanks to a croque monsieur.”

Dalton spins around. “That’swhat you ate? That’s, like, the eggiest thing ever. How did you not know?”

“Because I’m not an archduke, you scrotum-face,” Christian retorts.

Dalton’s eyebrows shoot up. “Did you just call mescrotum-face?”

Christian hesitates. After all, Dalton has a solid foot on him, and Christian has seen him naked; he knows he’s all muscle. But before Christian can decide, Dalton grins. “That’s my new favorite insult,” he decides. “I’m going to love having little brothers.”

“The wedding is still off,” my father reminds him.

“Speak for yourself,” Dalton replies before putting his arm around me. “These three are going to be my brothers-in-law. And go work on yourself, Porter. Because I’m going to propose to Essie soon and I’d like you to be involved.”

My dad holds out a hand to Dalton, who takes it. “I’d like that too.”

---